20 Prompts to Rick Castle and Kate Beckett
by paigee.yovkoff
Summary: Christmas Edition! 20 prompts to Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett including Angel, Mistletoe, Snow, Family, Innocence, Traditions, Perfection, and Decoration! Established Castle/Kate throughout. May be slight AU and drabblish as well. RxR
1. Angel

**Angel  
>Words: <strong>696**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>There were a few angels in Richard Castle's life, one was his mother, another was his daughter, and the other was Katherine Beckett.**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>Castle does not belong to me.**  
>Slightly AU.<br>Slightly drabble.**

…

"Have you decided yet?" Alexis Castle questioned, moving around the kitchen island to stand next to her dad where he sat on the bar stool.

He grunted slightly, stuffing his mouth once more with the spoon over-flowing with cereal. His daughter laughed, leaving the kitchen and receiving a curious glance from Katherine Beckett, who stood by the coffee machine.

Every year, before the start of December, Richard Castle spent a week debating what decoration was to be placed on top of the Christmas tree that year. Last year it was a pretend Santa Claus, the year before, a reindeer. It was normally always different, never the same two years in a row. This year, he just couldn't decide.

He was torn, between the star and the angel. One for more obvious reason that the other. The star had not been placed on top of the Christmas tree since Alexis was atleast thirteen, it had been collecting dust at the bottom of the Christmas decorations box in the hallway closet. He had sort of missed the iconic star that sat on the tree, having not seen it for all of those years.

The angel however, it had been on the Christmas tree three years ago, but that was not something that swayed his decision. What swayed it, however, was that he was already concering him self with the other three angels in his life, he didn't feel the need to place another on top of the Christmas tree.

His mother was not someone that he usually considered an angel, she was an actress, she was dramatic by nature; Richard Castle did not believe that angels were dramatic, or very good actresses. However, having watch the interactions between his girlfriend and mother over the past month since the NYPD detective had moved in, he was seeing a bit more of that angel spirit coming from the Broadway actress.

His daughter, she had always been an angel to him; though he just never said much of it. He did however, have other things to call her – _pumpkin, the light in his life, his little girl, daddy's princess _– 'angel' just never really was it. His daughter acted like an angel, she had never broken any of his rules, she had never been drunk, never did drugs, she acted like one. He just never wanted to be the cheesy father who related her to an angel straight away.

The third angel, however, was probably the one who would shoot him for calling her that. Katheirne Beckett acted like no angel. She was a NYPD detective, she had killed people, she had nearly died, she carried a gun as apart of her job, and she's broken a few hearts – well, that was what he let himself believe – she would probably have his head mounted on a wall if she ever found out he thought of her as one. He was not the corny boyfriend, but to him, she was his angel.

"Have you decided on _what_?" the woman asked, taking the seat next to him on the other bar stool.  
>"Alexis!" he called over his shoulder.<br>"Yes?" the teenager smiled, poking her head down the stairs.  
>"The angel," he said simply, turning back to his coffee.<p>

The girl's laughter echoed from the stairs as she went back to her room. The NYPD detective next to him still looked confused.

"Wait!"  
>"The star?" his daughter smiled, carrying both the star and angel in her hands as she deascended the stairs once again.<p>

He groaned, being torn between the two again. He looked to Kate Beckett, seeing her smiling. As much as he _loved _her smile, it made him sigh and drop his head to the bench.

"The star," The NYPD detective told the girl, "before he changes his mind again."  
>"No! The angel," he stopped her.<br>"No more changing your mind Dad," his daughter laughed, placing the star on the bench in front of him, and walking towards the Christmas tree.

Richard sighed, eyes flickering to the star on the bench. He felt Kate Beckett's hand squeeze his knee, her small laugh following. He guessed that maybe one more angel wouldn't hurt, right?

…

_This did not turn out how I planned, just saying._

_Either way, it's a slight drabble, it's probably AU, but a warning ahead, this entire series will be ESTABLISHED KATE/CASTLE, so, yeah! : )_

_This is my Christmas story, even though I still need to finish my Halloween one – which I am currently forcing myself to write, even when I feel like I lack a muse._

_This is the first of twenty, so it'll be twelve less than my last prompt story, but each one-shot will have some sort of Caskett element and will have some sort of Christmas related thing in it. And, this time, I won't be posting the list as the first chapter, it's going to be a surprise, each time! : D I do have a list, don't worry, I know what I'm writing here people!_

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

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	2. Innocence

**Innocence  
>Words: <strong>553**  
>Couple: <strong>Richard Castle and Detective Kate Beckett**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>Kate Beckett didn't know of much innocence at Christmas time, it was normally filled with more murders than any other holiday – besides Halloween – but that was until she met Richard and Alexis Castle.**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe made them, I just hope that I could own them – one day…  
><strong>Established KateCastle  
>Slightly AU.<strong>

…

It was the second day of December, Katherine Beckett had never spent a Friday away from work, she was always in there doing paperwork and filing through old case notes on those daring cases that had never been closed.

In other words: her mother's case.

Kate was determined to finish it somehow or another, it had been nearly seven months and they had not caught the sniper who had shot her, and she was no closer to catching the man who hired a man to kill her mother. She was no where near closing that case, and her captain was not helping in that situation.

Captain Gates had pulled the plug on the case, once again, saying that Kate was wasting police recourses chasing after a ghost. Kate knew, however, that she wasn't chasing a ghost. She was chasing a sick man who killed for a living, and knew how to hide from the authorities.

As the time ticked onto another second, and it hit nine p.m, Kate finally sighed, giving in for the day, knowing that at home right now, Richard Castle was waiting for her. He had probably left the left-overs of that night's meal in the microwave and was sitting in his study trying to finish yet another chapter of his next Nikki Heat novel.

She knew also, that Alexis Castle would have been sitting at the kitchen bench, with her recent chemistry or history notes, going over them even when she had no more tests coming up. Kate admired the young girl, she was always striving for her best, and she just had this charm about her – probably inherited it from her father, Kate would hate to say – and at Christmas time, like her father, it became more clear to the detective that Alexis was truly her father's daughter.

As she turned the key in the door that led into the large living room, Kate Beckett could hear what sounded like _The Grinch that Stole Christmas _playing on the large television, and as she walked through the door, she found herself smiling.

The father and daughter duo were fast asleep, Alexis laying on top her father. The younger girl was hugging her father with her right arm, while his was draped across her. Kate let the smile play at her lips a little longer, quietly walking towards them to pull the blanket to sit over them. The younger girl stirred slightly, resting her head into her father's chest.

If Kate Beckett had stayed home that day, this would not have been the sight she had seen. This was innocent, something Kate Beckett didn't really know, being surounded by crime and murder on a daily basis. She rarely got to see something like this happen between the pair, Alexis was normally studying at this time of night and Richard was either writing or sat with Kate on the bed, both sharing a cup of coffee as they talked.

She laughed silently at the thought, walking to drop her jacket on a stool at the bench, pulling a coffee mug from the top cupboard. Spying the first sight of innocence for that Christmas season, she let the smile on her face glow for some more time, and began waiting for the morning after, where she would watch the pair wake up.

…

_This is complete drabble. I apoligise completely for it. But I just can't find a way to change it, no joke. This is one of those weird one where you want to change it, but you have no idea how to change it._

_So this is number two, and there are eighteen to go of this absolutly mental christmas series that just popped out of no where…_

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

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	3. Imagination

**Immagination  
>Words: <strong>622**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Sumary: <strong>It was something that she had loved about him, even when she hadn't loved him. It was something that had her waiting for his next word, and sometimes even his next action. Because she really wasn't allowed to lie, she loved hearing his nonsense stories that only got told once each, as they sat together.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Nope, not mine. Unbelievable, isn't it?  
><strong>Established KateCastle  
>Slightly AU<strong>

…

It was cold outside, small drops of snow gathering on the ground around the many buildings in New York City. People were bustling down on the footpaths, doing Christmas shopping for their family and friends, trying to get the best sales before everything sold out.

While the millions of New Yorkers went on their night routine, out on the balcony of the Castle's loft, sat Kate Beckett and Richard Castle, warmly tangled in eachother's embrace, where the author had his lips pressed to her ear in the midst of telling a story.

She laughed as he explained in pure detail about the princess of his story, the girl with long wavy brunnette locks, her sparkling brown eyes; he told her story of her finding hope in a man who she was taught not to trust. About how the pair travelled for days to get away from the large kingdom, hoping for freedom, about the long, cold nights that they slept, tangled in eachother's heated emba-

"Castle!" she slapped his chest surprisingly, narrowing her eyes and stopping him as he spoke.  
>"I was just telling it how it goes," he reasoned.<br>"Not now," she warned him.  
>"But how else were they supposed to keep warm? There's no expensive coats and blankets in the woods."<br>"Not now," the NYPD detective repeated, smiling slightly before resting her head back into the crook of his neck.  
>"Well, you may say 'not now', but if you kiss my neck like that again, you may not have any other option," he chuckled, gripping her tighter to him.<br>"If you say so," she whispered, dropping a small kiss on his neck, just to feel him squirm.  
>"Can I continue with the story?" Richard asked, "of course, not that part of the story."<br>"Please," she smiled.

From there he continued, skipping the details of those nights the princess shared with the fugitive. He told her of their adventure, the many crooks and villians they met on their journey, the many friends the pair made. He told her about how the man taught the princess the tricks of his trade, while she taught him the elegancy of her life, all of this while the pair continued their way to another land.

Kate Beckett had always been a sucker for his on-the-spot stories, the ones that made possible motives in cases come to light, the ones that she feel asleep hearing every night as though she was a young child. They were the stories she cherrished more than his novels, they were the ones that normally were only told to her, then only to be remembered in her memory of those nights.

Those stories were the ones that he told her after a hard case, to calm her down and bring her back to their reality; those stories were the ones that he told her when they were alone, and neither of them wanted to do much other than lay in eachother's arms. Those were the stories that continued to save her, time and time again.

If she was to admit the real reason she had first fallen in love with him, it would be the stories. At always was going to be the stories.

"Rick?" she murmurred, eyes slowly fluttering closed.  
>"Yes?"<br>"I love you," she let out in a whisper, before finally giving into her bodies demands, closing her eyes and silently falling asleep.

The man chuckled, placing a small kiss on hr forehead, pulling her tighter to him, as he watched her slowly fall asleep.

"_And the man replied, running his finger slowly down her tear stained cheak, 'I love you, also.'_" He finished the story, smiling down at the woman in his arms.

And love her, he did.

…

_Sort of cheesy, just saying, aha : )_

_Nothing like how I planned, it was actually supposed to be set in the precinct and have something to do with Castle's crazy CIA and aliens theories, but nothing ever goes according to plan for me!_

_So this is number three, and we have seventeen more to go! Surprise, surprise!  
>Just a hint about the next one, it starts with 'F'…<em>

_Aha!_

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

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	4. Festive

**Festive  
>Words: <strong>524  
><strong>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle  
><strong>TV Show: <strong>Castle  
><strong>Summary: <strong>That was one word to describe Richard Castle all year around, but at Christmas, well, was it possible that he was just a litte bit _more _festive that normal?  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe created the amazing pair that has us on our seats every episode (and book, yanno, technically speaking!), just don't blame me for trying to claim them as my own, yeah?  
><strong>Established KateCastle.  
><strong>**Slightly, maybe completely, **_**AU**_**.**

…

A loud noise from the lounge room was awoke the NYPD detective, who sat up sharp, alerted to a possible intruder in the large loft. Her hand automaticaly flew to sit on the other side of the bed, looking for the warm body that belonged to Richard Castle, but met cold sheats instead. Never had she woken up to be alone in that bed, not since moving into the loft.

With her back-up weapon tucked safetly at her side, she slowly made her way through the study towards the loungeroom. Another bang made her jump slightly, cursing at herself she stopped at the doorway, raising her eyebrows at what she saw.

Richard Castle was covered from head to toe in silver and gold tinsel; he was trying his best to untangle himself from it as he continued to strangle fairy lights from the box in front of him. Around him on the walls tinsel was already hung, draped over photo frames and the bookshelf.

Sure, he was normally very into the holidays, but she had never seen him neck deep in decorations before. Watching him struggle the elertcile decoration while he slowly hummed, she felt that he may have been just a little bit more _festive _than usual, and that was usually impossible, evern for him.

"_What _are you doing?" she asked, breaking his attention from the fairy lights in his hands.  
>"Decorationg," he smiled, turning to look at her over his shoulder.<br>"You are a six-year-old on a sugar rush, you know that right?"  
>"As you remind me every day since we met," the author chuckled.<p>

Walking towards him, she picked up a stream of gold tinsel from the couch, dropping it over his shoulders to add the the ammount that he was already covered with. Using it to pull his face up to hers she kissed him lightly.

"Either you're slightly drunk, or you're not Katherine Beckett," he rose an eyebrow at her.  
>The NYPD detective laughed, shrugging slightly. "It's nearly Christmas, I feel very <em>Christmasy <em>right now."  
>"Should I be taking advantage of this?" he questioned with a smirk.<br>"Maybe, but right now, you're covered in tinsel and you seemed busy, so I might let you go back to your decoratin," she told him, standing up straight and beginning to walk away.

His hands grabbed quickly at her waist, bringing her down to sit beside him with a small laugh. Moving both hands to her cheeks he silenced her laughter with his lips crashing softly on hers. Their lips found a familiar rhythm, pushing her back against the couch.

"Tomorrow off?" he asked against her lips.  
>"Tomorrow is Wednesday," she reminded him.<br>"All work and no play," the author whined slightly.  
>"That's what you think," she winker, pushing him away slightly before standing and leaving the room.<p>

He chuckled, watching her sashay back to the bedroom. Kate Beckett had been very _festive _lately, and there was something going on in that head of hers. Richard Castle knew, but he thought about what advantages came with the Christmas season.

_Seeing Kate Beckett smile_ – even if she's half drunk at the Old Haunt…

…

_Bloody hell, that's completely AU. And it came out of no where. Sort of fits the summary, I think?_

_Hint for number five? Something you kiss under…_

_Aha. Thankyou!_

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	5. Mistletoe

**Mistletoe  
>Words: <strong>614**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>Alexis Castle had strategically placed the daring object around the loft, hoping to catch the perfect photo of her father and the detective kissing underneath the small vine.**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>Castle belongs to ABC**  
>Established KateCastle  
>Slightly, maybe completely, <strong>_**AU.  
><strong>_**Complete drabble, just warning you ahead! Aha(:**

…

Alexis Caste eyed the door to her father's study, waiting for it to open and Kate Beckett walk through for the start of their morning. Normally, the NYPD detective would be out jogging at this time of morning, but Alexis' father had rules about certain people leaving the house before eight am on Sundays. This was what led to the Sunday tradition of the pair leaving the bedroom at eight am exactly, every Sunday morning and joining the teen for breakfast.

She used this to her advantage, choosing that doorway to be one of the many locations for her plan to unfold. In various places around the loft, the teenager had hung several small spirgs of mistletoe, hoping for the couple to notice its existence, and follow tradition, so that the teen would have the fortune of snapping the golden image. Though, the first plan didn't exactly go how she planned.

"Your father is still in the shower," the NYPD detective sighed, taking the seat on the bar stool next to her, scaring her slightly.  
>"I think he needs one," the girl answered, "you both came home from the precinct last night looking a little bit worse than 'dirty'."<br>"That would have been his fault," Kate laughed. "He's the reason I had to run through trees and mud to chase our suspect."  
>"Talking about me again?" he asked, joining the pair and pouring fresh coffee into the closest mug on the bench.<p>

As her father and the detective bickered slightly – their usual morning ritual – Alexis sighed, guessing that seeing them kiss under that certain sprig of mistletoe wasn't going to happen.

"Alexis, do you know how mistletoe got hung above the door?" her father asked her after a moment.  
>The girl shrugged, "no idea."<p>

…

Alexis had finally given up hope. She didn't catch her perfect image, and she had no way of doing so at all that day. Shortly after breakfast, her father had retreated into his study, hoping to finish the last few chapters of the latest Nikki Heat novel by the end of the weekend; while the NYPD detective had been taking phonecalls from several members of NYPD and the court house, all of them concerning the case they had just wrapped up.

The only time the pair had gone within ten feet of any of the various locations that the mistletoe was hung, was when they had returned to the kitchen at lunch. Now, with the time edging its way to ten pm, Alexis Castle sat in the dimly lit loungeroom, still taking small helpings from the various Chinese take-out boxes that were stacked on the floor. The three of them had started eating at atleast nine pm, with Rick Castle leaving less than twenty minutes ago to sit out on the balcony.

"Where's Rick?" the detective question, returning to the loungeroom.  
>"Out there," the young girl answered with a small smile.<br>"Thanks Lex," she smiled, leaning down to give her a small kiss on ther forehead before walking out to where he sat.

Alexis watched, Kate had stood in front of him for a moment talking, the detective had let a small laugh out as the author had pulled her around the waist, causing her to sit on him lap. The teenager jumped from her spot, running to grab her camera, and returning to the sit of the pair resting their foreheads together, with Richard slowly whispering to her. She smiled, holding it up and taking the picture.

"I didn't even need the mistletoe," she laughed slightly to herself, beginning to feel quite proud of herself.

She had finally gotten her perfect picture of her father and the detective.

…

_Complete drabble, just saying(:_

_So that turned out nothing like I though it would, and it's sort of AU, not like everthing I write isn't AU anyway, aha._

_So, that would be what, number five? And it's Christmas today, isn't it? Aha. I've been forcing myself to write through the writers block to see how much I can write to post today._

_I hope you have an amazing Christmas._

_Thankyou for reading!_

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	6. Mythical

**Mythical  
>Words: <strong>688**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>Richard Castle is like a six-year-old on a sugar high, so there was no thought when he saw a Santa Claus on the streets of New York. Katherine Beckett however, couldn't exactly wait to leave, well, that was before she met the man.**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>ABC owns all rights on the TV Show and its characters.**  
>Established KateCastle.  
>Slightly, maybe completely, <strong>_**AU**_

…

"Really?" she asked, sighing as he pulled her along by her wrist towards the famous figure.  
>"Yes really!" he exclaimed, "its Santa!"<br>"Rick, we're going to be late," she reminded him.  
>"Just five minutes," he answered, pulling her to a stop.<p>

Kate sighed, watching as he began talking with the man. Personally, she had never understood the concept of Santa, kids were going to find out soon enough that their parents and over a thousand other adults had been lying to them about this fat man dressed in red that had a long beard, and she was sure that some kids would be quite pissed when they do.

She knew that Richard was just a child at heart, he obviously knew that it was not real, being the father to an almost eighteen year old girl, but no matter how much she wanted to leave, she had to watch him with the pretend Santa.

The author asked about his family – the man had a daughter that was only five years old – and his wife, it was like the man didn't think twice when answering his questions, and it was as though they had this conversation countless times before.

"How is your daughter?" the man asked.

Kate Beckett's eyes widened, _they had this conversation before._

"Alexis is great, she is," Richard smiled, "oh, I almost forgot, Andrew, this is Kate Beckett."

He held her to his side tightly, smiling at her. He had never been shy to openly show signs that they were a couple, Kate knew this, but at the moment, she forced a smile and said her hello.

"This one is a keeper, Richard," Andrew laughed, smiling at her, "it's nice to meet you Kate."  
>"Also you," she nodded.<br>"I'd hope so," Rick chuckled, his eyes on her.  
>"Jo will be upset she missed this one," the man stated, "She had always wanted to meet the mysterious Nikki Heat."<br>"She wasn't the only one," the author agreed.  
>"Will Alexis be able to look after Jen this weekend?" Andrew questioned, "she keeps asking about her."<br>"I'll ask Lex when we get home," he answered, "She won't be out quick enough at the idea."  
>"Probably."<p>

The pair had shared a laugh, before bidding each other farewell. Richard pulled a note from his pocket before putting it in the donations bucket beside the man.

"Merry Christmas," he told him.  
>"Merry Christmas Richard."<p>

The author slowly walked her away; she had to look over her shoulder just to check that the man was still there, and that she wasn't dreaming.

"How do you know him?" she asked after a second.  
>"Alexis babysits his daughter every once in a while; mother and his wife get a long quite well, she's into acting as well," he answered, "guess we just bonded. He volunteers as Santa every year for the church; Alexis or I would normally walk out of way just to stop by him and talk."<br>Kate nodded slowly, but stopped walking, "just wait here."

Richard raised an eyebrow at her slightly, but let her turn back around and walk back to the man, her hand reaching into her pocket. Andrew gave her a small smile, but widened his eyes when he saw her pull her purse from her pocket and taking the large lump of small change that had been collected – nearly sixty dollars in small change had come to be there – dropping it into the bucket.

"I wasn't going to spend it, I figure somebody else would use it better," she shrugged, answering his un-asked question, "Merry Christmas."

Smiling at him, she stuffed her hands in her pockets and walked back to Richard.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.  
>"I'm fine Rick," she answered with a small laugh, "figured I'd just pitch in a bit."<br>He smiled, "we're going to be late."  
>"We are late," she corrected him.<p>

The author laughed, regaining his grasp on her hand and slowly walking with her through the thin layer of snow on the ground towards their original destination. Kate Beckett had a smile on her face; maybe the whole Santa thing wasn't that bad after all…

…

_Complete. Drabble._

_I can imagine how fat Kate's wallet would have to be, to fit sixty dollars in small change – but let's just forget that minor detail? Aha (:_

_So that's number six, didn't go in any sort of way I planned it would. But yeah. Aha(:_

_I hope you have an amazing Christmas._

_Thank you for reading!_

_Review?_

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	7. Work

**Work  
>Words: <strong>417**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>The looming question of what Kate Beckett usually does at Christmas time is still on his mind, until he finally gets an answer.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Castle and it's characters belong to ABC and Andrew Marlowe.**  
>Established KateCastle  
>Slightly, maybe completely, <strong>_**AU**_**.  
>Slight drabble.<br>SHORT!**

…

"What would you normally do at Christmas time if you weren't here?"

Kate Beckett's mind stopped. What _would _she be doing at Christmas if she lived by herself, was not dating Richard Castle? What would she be doing at Christmas if she had never _met _him? She actually didn't know how to answer that question.

Of course, there was work. Their caseload at Christmas was nearly double what it was any other time of the year – besides Halloween – so she knew that she would be working at some point in the Christmas holiday season. Paperwork would have piled on her desk as quickly as she completed it.

Then there was the option to visit her father. That year, he was coming to visit her instead, but she would never hate to drive out to see her father, who lived barely an hour from the city. They had been close, but with her job, with her mother's death, with everything that had happened, they weren't nearly as close as they use to be. Spending a silent Christmas night with her father, watching an old Christmas movie was sometimes what happened, but it was rare.

Sometimes she visited her mother. She rarely went to see her anymore, not since she had started investigating her death when she first became a cop. The visit was usually silent, Kate didn't really 'talk' to graves, she was too stubborn to do something like that, but to her it just felt right being near where her mother was.

Since she had met Richard Castle? Her Christmas' just weren't like that. Crazy and wild cases filled with his endless jokes and theories. Ending up at the loft on Christmas night instead of in her empty living room.

Since she had began dating Richard Castle? She could not bring herself to be cheesy enough to say something stupid like 'endless world of wonder'. Somehow, however, that was sort of true. This was her first Christmas as an official 'couple' with the author, and it had already turned out to be far more eventful then the past five Christmas' she had spent as 'just friends' with the man.

"Work," she shrugged.  
>He smirked, "well this Christmas, we're treating you and your dad to the full Castle Christmas, best tradition in the book."<br>"You sure it could live up to the amazing Christmas' we've had recently?" she asked him with a smile.  
>"Nothing will be able to live up to <em>this <em>one," he answered, full of confidence.

…

_That was a quick one, and a drabbl. I apoligise for how short it was too!_

_Either prompt number fourteen or fifteen will have mentions of this one in it, I'll figure it out sometime, aha(:_

_That's number seven! Only thirteen more to go, aha! (:_

_Thank you for reading!_

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	8. Cinnamin

**Cinnamin  
>Words: <strong>822**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>That was the dash in her coffee that morning, the small dash of cinnamin on the strange-looking donut, it was beginning to make her day, along with his small smile as he greated her that morning.**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>Castle and it's characters belong to ABC and Andew Marlowe.**  
>Established KateCastle  
>Slightly, maybe completely, <strong>_**AU.**_

…

Kate Beckett has not had the best morning. She was called in before three a.m, meaning she had to leave the warm king size bed in the loft, where she lay listening to her boyfriend murmur insanity to her. The triple homicide her and the team had been working on had next to no leads, and their captain was already grilling them for some sort of outcome before lunch. The NYPD detective had also been avoiding calls from numerous members of the Attorney General's office, trying her best to focus solely on this case, but was failing.

Her eyes shifted between where her team sat at their respective desks, and the murder board that was to her left. The board was nearly bare, showing just how little leads they had. Kevin and Javier had both gone through missing person reports seperately, then going through them once more with her, neither set of eyes had been able to find a possible match to either three of their victims.

The phone on her desk buzzed her hand flying to it automatically as she went to end the call, but stopping when she saw his name flash on the screen.

"Coffee?" he said immediately as she answered the call.  
>"I can't leave the precinct," she explained.<br>"Then I'll bring it to you," he answered simply.  
>"Rick, I don't kno-"<br>"Kate, I know for a fact that you haven't eaten this morning."  
>She laughed, "do you have the guys calling you with updates now, do you?"<br>"I'll be there in twenty minutes," the author told her.  
>"Alright," she murmurred.<br>"And it was actually Lanie who called me with updates, so don't kill the guys," he chuckled before hanging up.

The female detective tapped her finger against her desk, before making her decision and calling out to the rest of her team, asking whether or not they had anything.

…

"Gates is going to murder us," Kevin Ryan murmurred, his eyes intent on the murder board.  
>"Not before she fires us," his partner corrected him.<br>"She'll fire us _after _she kills us," Kate commented, sighing and leaning back in her chair, "let's go over it again. Three victims, no identities, killed with a 9mm."  
>"The same nine-mil each time," Javier added.<br>"No fingerprints, no DNA, no leads," she continued slowly.  
>"In other words, you guys have nothing?" Richard Castle asked, standing behin Kate's chair.<br>"You're late," she said simply, not turning to look at him.  
>"I've been here for about ten minutes argueing with Gates, if it's cold, it's her fault," he told her, dropping a kiss on her cheek and placing a brown paper bag and her coffee on the table next to her, before pulling a chair to sit next to her.<p>

She felt him place his hand on her knee, as he got caught up on details from the other two detectives. Picking up the coffee and taking a sip, she smiled. _Cinnamin_, she thought, opening the brown paper bag she let out a laugh.

"Yes Katherine?" the author asked, raising an eyebrow at her, tying to hide the smirk on his lips.  
>"Nothing, nothing," she shook her head, laughing still.<br>"I'm going to call Lanie, see if she's got anything," Esposito told the pair, before he and his partner left the pair to head to the elevator.  
>"Very subtle," Richard chuckled.<br>"Very," the NYPD detective agreed.  
>"Now what is so funny?" he questioned.<br>"Really?" she pulled the donut from the bag.  
>"It was the only one with cinnamin on it left, would you rather me have gotten you sprinkles?" he laughed.<br>"It's shaped like Santa," Kate prompted.  
>He shrugged, "there were no more reindeer ones."<p>

The NYPD detective laughed, leaning forward and placing a kiss on the corner of his lips.

"Aren't you the one that tells me no kissing in the precinct?" he questioned.  
>"I don't care," she smiled, "thankyou."<br>"For?"  
>"Just thankyou," she shrugged slightly.<p>

He gave her a small smile, watching her as she pulled away slightly to break a piece off the irregular donut and holding it to his lips.

She picked up he buzzing phone, as he took the piece between his teeth, answering it swiftly, "Beckett."  
>"Lanie has an ID, sending the address to your phone, me and Espo will meet you there," Ryan explained, in the back ground she could hear two sets of feet.<br>"Alright, thanks," she told him, hanging up.  
>"Got something?" Richard asked her.<br>"Identities on our vics, you coming?" she gestured to the elevator.  
>He laughed slightly, picking up her jacket and helping her shrug into it, "you can't get rid of me that easy."<br>"Damn, I was hoping," she sighed dramatically, before walking with him towards the elevator.

The author slipped his hand into hers, squeezing it slightly, earning a small smile from her, as the doors closed. Maybe her morning had gotten a little bit better with time, just maybe.

…

_Dissapointed in myself, well, sorta. This one isn't the best and it's nearly new years, so I rushed to get it done._

_Questioned, would you like a Castle New Years one shot? I was thinking about writing one for Harry Potter – Lily and James – and one for NCIS: Los Angeles – Kensi and Marty. I had an idea for a Castle one, but I'm still working on this, so yeah… Ideas?_

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

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>.com<em>

_Twitter:_ _/#!/paigeyovkoff_


	9. Snow

**Snow  
>Words: <strong>753**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>There was a thin layer of it on the ground around them, and a small ball of it in Kate's hand, as well.**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew Marlowe created the pair, I found the prompt and did the writing(:**  
>Established KateCastle  
>Slightly, maybe completely, <strong>_**AU**_**.**

…

They both watched as Alexis and Ashley ran ahead, the boy having threatened to say something to her father, causing the girl to blush a deep red and begin chasing the boy. The NYPD detective had laughed, but the author had looked confused, wanting to know what Ashley had threatened to tell him.

"Come on Kate, tell me," he pleaded, walking backwards in front of her and looking over his shoulder every few seconds.  
>"I don't know what you want me to tell you," she said simply, shrugging.<br>"I know you do, just tell me Kate."  
>"I have no idea what they're talking about," she sighed.<br>"Yes you do," he stopped in front of her.  
>She cocked her head to the side, stepping closer to him, "even if I knew – which I don't," she told him in a hushed whisper, "I don't think you're ever be able to get it out of me."<br>"You sure?" he questioned with a smirk, "I've learnt a few interrogation techniques from oner of the best over the past few years."  
>"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Rick."<br>"I was talking about Esposito," he joked, "but flattery has gotten me a few places lately."

The female detective narrowed her eyes at him, to which he replied to with a chuckle and a smirk. She sighed, continueing to follow the two younger adults, trying her best to ignore the man's constant badgering.

Around them, snow was slowly falling, adding itself to the thin layer alread on the ground. Their footprints were leaving imprintations into the ground, showing their path from where the car had been parked to where they were hoping to end up.

When Alexis had called them over, the author went ahead of her, already asking his daughter what she had been so embarressed about, leaving Kate to walk at a slow pace as she watched. She felt a tinge of cold, even with the many layers of clothing she had on already.

The NYPD detective looked around for a moment, lher eyes looking down to the snow with a small smile.

"Kate!" he called out, gesturing her to come over.  
>"I'm coming," she replied, quickly scooping a small handful of snow and running over to the group.<p>

She held her hand behind her back, waiting for him to trn away from her for just a moment. And when he turned to talk to his daughter, she took it as the perfect time. Lifting her hand slowly, dropping the contents over the top of his head, she laughed, watching him jump in shock.

"Katherine Beckett," the author said turning sharply to face her.  
>"Yes?" she asked innocently.<p>

The man in front of her smirked, slowly leaning down to scoop his own handful of the snow. Her eyes widening in recognision she slowly stepped backwards, and going to dodge the handful of snow he threw at her, failing miserably.

"You're on."  
>The man laughed, dodging her next throw, "if you say so detective."<p>

The NYPD detective continued shovelling and throwing the snow from her hands, trying her best to dodge each of his throws, failing almost each time, before quickly running back in the opposite direction. Richard followed her quickly, gripping her by the waist and pulling her backwards, both of them tumbling back onto the snow in laughter.

"I hate you," she murmurred.  
>"No you don't," the author chuckled.<br>"Yes I do."

Giving her a small laugh, watching her roll off of him to land quietly on the snow, he pulled himself up and offered her his hand. She took it, letting him pull her up, but then using it to pull him towards herself and place a small kiss on his lips.

"I still hate you," she told him, walking slowly in front of him towards his daughter.  
>"If you so so," he smirked, quickly catching up a gripping her hand.<p>

Walking towards the small café where his daughter and her boyfriend stood waiting for them Kate shivered slightly before realising why.

"I have snow down my jacket."  
>"And I'm not surprised," he chuckled, pushing the door open for her.<p>

The NYPD detective narrowed her eyes at him for a second, before walking in through the door and following the two teenagers to a booth. Richard Castle chuckled, watching the woman shake a few drops of snow off of her jacket before sitting down across from the pair. He could only guess that she would get him back for it soon, but he could wait until then.

…

_Uh, not sure what this is, but I'm guessing it's the ninth prompt? No idea what happened, but you know, this happened._

_So, thankyou for patiance! I've been without internet since getting back from Tahlia's, and I've been without some sort of muse for a while now._

_Review?_

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_Twitter:_ _/#!/paigeyovkoff_


	10. Christmas Tree

**Christmas Tree  
>Words: <strong>576**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>Watching him decorate it had been amusing, to say the least; but had also been her memory lane of Christmas'.**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe owns Castle.**  
>Established KateCastle.  
>Slightly, uh, completely, <em>AU<em>.**

…

_"Castle, it's Christmas. You are nothing but a bit festive."  
>"I'm not that bad," he replied, following her out of the precinct's elevator, and towards her desk.<br>"You and Alexis decorating the Christmas Tree last week?" she reminded him.  
>"Okay, so maybe I am that bad."<em>

The NYPD detective sat cross-legged on the couch, watching the site in front of her unfold. The flurry of tinsel and blinking lights, the odd bauble slowly rolling across the polished floors of the loft towards the couch, when it had not been chosen to be placed on the tree.

Richard Castle and his daughter had spent the past two hours, going through the hundreds of Christmas Tree ornaments, that had been in boxes since the previous Christmas. Each ornament had gone through what Kate thought to be a long selection process before finally being placed on the tree, and from what she saw, it seemed that this was how they decorated the tree every year.

The pair in front of her seemed to be completely decked out in Christmas gear, donning matching Christmas jumpers and santa hats. Alexis had reindeers hanging from her ears, flashing with small LED lights in green and red. Kate Beckett had only given in so far to be wearing one of the many Santa hats that the pair had found, while she sat where she was.

Christmas hen she was younger had always been a quiet affair; she and her parent's would have a small Christmas dinner and lunch, then spend boxing day in Central Park. Her mother would always give Kate money to buy a present to place under a wishing tree, and whenever they walked past a Santa Claus ith a donation bucket, they ould always place whatever small change that they had in it.

After he mother had died, it was just her and her father. It didn't last long, her father's greiving finally catching up to him, along with a bottle of bourban every night. Kate Beckett had been forced to spending her Christmas' trying to keep her father sober. That particular activity had taken nearly two years, meaning that those Christmas' had not been much of an affair for the detective or her father.

The next year, she had joined the force. All of her hard work having paid off and finally she had been ranked a homicide detective. Of course after that, Christmas' were usually spent working, because murder didn't take holidays, expecially at Christmas.

As Alexis Castle and her father pulled her towards the tree to place the angel on the top, she stood leaning into her lover's arms, as he reached up above her and nestled the angel softly on the tree. Feeling him drop a small kiss on her cheek from behind her, and Alexis lean slightly into her side as she watched the tree light up, she really couldn't think of anything more amazing than the sight in front of her – the sight from just twenty minutes earlier was no competition to what the Castle family had made.

_"Cut him some slack Beckett! Even you seem a little festive this season!" Ryan called with a laugh from his desk.  
>"Yeah? So do those missing person reports on your desk," she smirked, watching the Irish detective return to his work.<br>"Well, he's right," the author shrugged.  
>"About what?"<br>"You feeling festive, the tree got a bit of an eyeful of you being-"  
>"Castle."<br>"Shutting up."_

…

_Yeah. I don't know what happened, I had a plan, but it went off into drabble land, no idea how to fix it._

_That makes us halfway there! And I apoligise majorly for super slowness in my updates of this! I've completely lost my muse for everything Castle, but I seem to have found my muse for everything NCIS: Los Angeles._

_I apoligise for how late this was! Aha :)_

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_


	11. Family

**Family  
>Words: <strong>408**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>Of course they had other family, but the family that was sitting next to, and across from, them in the small booth in 'The Old Haunt' was the one that they had begun spending every day of their lives with, since the moment they had met.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe owns Castle.**  
>Established KateCastle.  
>Slightly <em>AU<em>.**

…

She laughed, letting him tug the jacket from her shoulders as they entered the bar. Leaning back into his touch as they walked towards the booth where Javier Esposito was waving to them from his place next to Lanie Parish.

"Well look who decided to join us," the Medical Examiner smiled at the pair as the draped their coats over the back of the booth.  
>"Castle just <em>had <em>to finish the chapter he was working on, said he was inspired by recent events," Kate explained, taking the seat next to her best friend.  
>"If you're talking about your sex life, please, share the details when I'm not here?" Esposito asked, shuddering slightly.<br>The female NYPD detective smirked slightly, "maybe I can just ask Lanie about yours then, is that a good idea Javier?"

The Hispanic detective narrowed his eyes at his boss, ignoring that laughter from his girlfriend and the author, of which the pair had failed at containing.

"Sorry we're late!" Jenny told them, both her and her husband finally joining the booth.  
>"But we have some exciting news," Kevin said, barely giving a breath between each word.<br>"Kevin!"  
>"Come on Jenny, you were going to say it anyway," he chuckled, nudging her slightly.<p>

Kate shared a small look with her partner, who just shrugged. Both of them turning to look at the couple standing at the edge of the booth.

"Kevin and I," Jenny started, looking at her husband with a broad smile, eyes crinkled.  
>"We're having a baby," he finished her, mirroring her smile.<br>"Really?" Lanie asked.  
>"Due in July," the Irish man nodded.<br>"Oh my! Congratulations!" Kate laughed, leaning across the seat to hug the woman.

The pair were caught up in a flurry of 'congratulations' and hugs, each of the four standing from the booth to great the pair. Katherine found herself holding onto her partner's arm, leaning into him as she watched the Hispanic detective and his partner talk.

When the excitement had slowed down, the entire group now sitting back in the booth, she looked around at each one of them. The make-shift family still basking in the joy of the recent news.

If it hadn't of been for this group of people, she wouldn't know that family wasn't just blood, it was those that you could trust enough, to know would always be there for you to fall back on. No matter how bad, or good, it could have been.

…

_So. If that didn't take forever, aha._

_The ending I'm not so sure about. I actually didn't plan for Jenny to be pregnant… o.O_

_So. After this, there are nine to go, I think. And it's slowly coming to an end. We're on the homestretch now, and hopefully the next nine will make up for the fact that it's been three months since Christmas._

_All mistakes are mine!_

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

_9…_


	12. Melody

**Melody  
>Words: <strong>320**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>Kate Beckett loved the sound of carolers as they walked down the New York streets; there was a certain ring to the entire thing.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe owns Castle.**  
>Established KateCastle.  
>Slightly <em>AU<em>.**

…

_Chestnuts roasting on an open fire  
>Jack Frost nipping at your nose<em>

The singing grew louder, as the couple slowly walked towards the 12th precinct after lunch. Katherine found her self smiling, leaning her head against his shoulder as they continued.

_Yuletide carols being sung by a choir  
>And folks dressed up like Eskimos<em>

She heard the author beside her chuckle as she slowed down, hoping to listen for longer before having to enter the precinct.

"We can be a few minutes late," he reminded her.  
>"Only a few," she agreed, stopping as they reached the group.<p>

_Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe  
>Will help to make the season bright<em>

Kate Beckett didn't know what it was that made things like carolers special, it may have been that her mother had always loved stopping to listen to them, but she always felt the need, no matter what time of the year it was, to stop, even for a second, to listen to the groups.

_Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow  
>Will find it hard to sleep tonight<em>

With a small smile playing at her lips, she looked up to his face, seeing his eyes trained intently on the group of carolers. Feeling her phone vibrate once in her coats pocket, she nudged him, pulling him back out of his thoughts and they continued walking.

Kate Beckett didn't know what it was that made things lke carolers special, but she knew that it had to do with how much her feelings had changed since she began dating Richard Castle. Somehow, the melody they sung, had her smiling as they walked the last few metres towards the 12th precinct, where their recent case was waiting for them.

_They know that Santa's on his way  
>He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh<br>And every mother's child is gonna spy  
>To see if reindeer really know how to fly.<em>

_…_

_I don't know, you tell me?_

_So this turned into a song fic of sorts, I would add it to my iPod challenge list, but I prefer it to be here mostly._

_The home stretch continues, bringing us closer to the end! Aha._

_Well, again, all mistakes are mine. And I don't own 'The Christmas Song'. Don't know who originally sung it, but I love the Demi Lovato version!_

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

_8…_


	13. Shooting Star

**Shooting Star  
>Words: <strong>525**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>She normally made a wish, but this year she realised that she didn't need to make a wish. She had everything that she wanted.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe owns Castle.**  
>Established KateCastle.  
>Slightly <em>AU<em>.**

…

Katherine Beckett sat by herself, wrapped in one of the blankets off of the couch in the living room, her legs curled up beside her body as she sat in the patio chair that was placed outside, reading coincidently a Nikki Heat novel.

The house was completely empty, Alexis Castle was out on a date with Ashley, and she wasn't due back in for hours. Martha Rodgers was at either a Broadway opening or at another Life Couching class, but either way the older woman would not be back in the house until atleast midday the next day. Richard Castle, as much as she wanted the opposite, was in a meeting with his agent and publicist, argueing about his next book tour.

With the house in complete silence, she felt that she could not sit directly inside the house without them there; it still felt weird, living in the Casle residence, even after four months.

A small smile lay on her lips, as she looked up for a moment, watching the scene lay out before her. The stars shining brightly, the bustling activity of an average New York night below her, it felt amazing, being in the mist of it somehow.

When she watched the many groups of people below her, all of them either making their way to or from work, making last minute shopping trips for the night, or even pulling a large Christmas Tree behind them getting ready for the rest of the Christmas season, she felt amazing, sitting up on the balcony, in the complete quiet, alone.

Her eyes followed, as a flash of lightly, slowly made its way, shooting across the sky. She knew instantly that it was a shooting star, and she knew instantly that she would normally wish upon it. She would normally wish to wake up in the morning, and get the call from her mother, confirming the time for dinner. She would wish to wake up and have her mother's case a hundred miles behind her. She would wish that she wasn't broken.

But this year, as she sat on the quiet balcony of the Castle loft, she thought about what she had that she didn't need to wish for. She had a family, even though those people were not family of blood; they were family all the same. She had put her mother's case far enough behind her, so far behind her that it for some reason it did not bother her knowing that there was a file on Richard Castle's SMARTboard that contained everything they knew about her mothers case.

_I've got Richard Castle_, she thought to herself, _what else is there to wish for?_

Katherine Beckett sat by herself, wrapped in one of the blankets off of the couch in the living room, her legs curled up beside her body as she sat in the patio chair that was placed outside, reading coincidently a Nikki Heat novel, knowing that without a doubt, there was nothing to wish for on that shooting star, because she had everything she wanted, and she had for the last five years, even if she hadn't noticed it yet.

…

_When the muse dragon wants something, it gets something._

_I'm not all entirely pleased with this one, but this is prompt thirteen and we're almost on the last five, and it's March! If I recall correctly, I started this story in December…_

_All mistakes are mine!_

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

_7…_


	14. Wrapping

**Wrapping  
>Words: <strong>695**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>He watched her, she seemed so keen on getting every piece of the wrapping paper perfect around the gifts, and it was rather amusing.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe owns Castle.**  
>Established KateCastle.  
>Slightly <em>AU<em>.  
>Drabblish.<strong>

…

"Don't touch it."  
>"Kate, it's perfectly fine, you don't need to wrap it again-"<br>"_Castle._"  
>"Backing off."<p>

The NYPD detective smiled to herself slightly, knowing that the author that sat less than ten feet away from her had recoiled like spring. Even after the pair had began dating, she loved the puppy dog feeling he brought to the home. He tried his best to annoy you into loving him even more, but recoiled sharply and highly unamused when he knows he's in trouble.

Though this time, after his sudden retreat, he did not stop at anything to continue to annoy her. Wrapping bits of ribbon around his finger, curling them before flinging them at her. Her haird had bits of gold and silver ribbon, stuck in between bunches of curls.

He watched carefully her carefully as he continued his torments, at the complete look of concentration she had on his face as she wrapped the large book. The NYPD detective was so content on getting every single fold correct; she was trying to create perfection.

"You're staring," she said simply, shortly after he stopped his flicking of ribbon.  
>"Really now?"<br>"It's creapy," she continued.  
>"So I'm not allowed to watch my amazing," he leant over and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "beautiful," another to her neck, "sexy," and another, "crazy," and another, "hot girlfiend?"<br>"Now you're being cheesy," Kate sighed, sticking the last piece of sticky tape onto the wrapping paper before turning to face him.

Richard Castle didn't know what it was, but there was a hidden meaning behind the NYPD detective's , mischevious, desire, he couldn't name it exactly, but it was there.

"I have a comprimise," Kate said, leaning towards him.  
>"Comprimise for what?" he asked.<br>"For you if you stop annoying me," she replied.  
>"And what would that be?"<br>"If you stop flicking ribbon," Katherine smiled, "I may just show you a bit of your Christmas present. The part that _can't _be wrapped."

The author's eyes widened, and he could have sworn she was trying her best to contain a smirk. Narrowing his eyes at her, he realised she was playing him.

"I hate you."  
>She laughed, going back to the wrapping Alexis' present, "no, I'm pretty sure you don't."<br>"You're such a tease," he responded.  
>"You're so easy," she replied with a small laugh.<p>

Feeling as though the fun was over, he leant back against the arm of the chair to watch her once more. She moved on from the teenager's present, picking up the box of perfume that she had bought for Lanie. It went along the same way as the wrapping of Alexis' present did; Kate Beckett would fold then unfold the wrapping paper, making sure that she had every line perfectly creased before finally sticking taping the paper down.

The author didn't know why, but he found this funny. When it came to Kate's old apartment, the one that she had before she moved in with him, it was always a mess. She worked early mornings and late nights, and she never really had time to organise her things. Then when it came to her desk, if you touched it, your head would be resting above her mantlepiece before you could try and put what you had touched back.

He guessed it had something to do with the precinct being more of a home to her then her apartment had ever been.

"Well what do we have here?" the voice of his mother said, "making Kate do all of your work Richard?"  
>"She won't let me touch it," he answered his mother as she came into his line of sight.<br>"Because you make a mess of it," the NYPD detective smiled, taping the last bit of the wrapping paper before placing the box on the top of the pile.  
>"That is true," Martha laughed.<p>

Rick smiled at the woman in front of him, who had leant forward to tape a card to the top of one of the boxes in the pile. His mother excused herself to her room as Kate leant back against the chair.

"So Kate."  
>"Yes?" she asked, eyebrows raised.<br>"About that compramise…"

…

_Don't ask what happened, just go with it, I have no idea either._

_Sorry about the lack of updates for everything that I should be posting over the past two weeks! I've been on Easter Holidays with my dad and I haven't had access to fanfiction – probably because stupid me lost my phone in the Maccas toilets somewhere on Bourke street in Melbourne – but it may also be because I have recently posted my fourty ninth story on fanfiction and I'm working SUPER HARD on my fiftieth!_

_Eeek! I can't wait to post it!_

_All mistakes are mine!_

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

_6…_


	15. Costumes

**Costumes  
>Words: <strong>590**  
>Couple: <strong>Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>She was going to murder him, truly.**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>All characters you recognise belong to Andrew W. Marlowe and Co. All mistakes belong to me.**  
>Established KateRick.  
>AU.<strong>

…

She lost the bet.

She lost that stupid, silly bet, that Richard Castle had been so content on having. That stupid bet about Alexis and she had to humiliate herself as his reward.

When the NYPD detective had bought and worn the costume to his Halloween party that year, she had been pleased with her choice. What she didn't realize, was that the amazing selection was going to come back and bite her square in the arse one day, and here it was, doing exactly that.

"I hate you," she repeated the phrase she had said so many times that morning, before tugging the hem of the dress down again and exiting the elevator as the doors opened.  
>"I love you too Kate!" he shouted after her with a smirk, purposely drawing attention to her as he quickly made his way to the break room.<p>

Kate Beckett growned, hearing the obscenely loud wolf-whistle from Javier Esposito, who had nudged his partner to bring his attention also to the female detective. Trying her best to ignore both the flames burning behind her cheeks – she would say that she wasn't blushing, and her nose would grow for miles – and the comments made by her fellow detectives – all absoltely thrilled to see Richard Castle get his own against his partner, which never happened when it came to these sorts of bets. Feeling the stare of both members of her team, she looked up, regretting it instantly.

"I guess Alexis chose to be home for New Years?" Kevin Ryan guessed, smiling at his team leader.  
>"That or it's casual day and we didn't get the memo," his partner added.<br>"Isn't that the costume she wore to Castle's Halloween party in October?" the Irish detective asked, ignoring her glare.  
>"I'm pretty sure that is."<br>"Okay, you've had your fun," she sighed, "don't you two have paperwork to do? Reports to file?"

Narrowing her eyes at the pair, she watched them chuckle once more before retreating to tehir desks, where the paperwork for the holiday season had only just begun piling up. Frowing she looked down at the green dress, she would have to get changed if they were to be called out into the field, last time she went to a crime scene dressed up – and mind you it wasn't like an elf – the clothes had to be dry cleaned several times because of the smell that got stuck on them.

Turning on the desktop computer in front of her, she ignored her partner as he placed the mug of steaming coffee on her desk, and started at what reports were left.

"Do you want to know what I love the most about this bet?" he asked offhandedly as she brought up evidence photos from their last case.  
>"You get to humiliate me?" Kate replied.<br>"Let me rephrase," Rick laughed, "do you want to know the best thing about this _dress_?"  
>"Alright then, let's humour you, what is the best thing about this dress?" she questioned, turning away from the computer to look at him, finally picking up the coffee and taking a sip.<br>"Easy access."

Her hand flying to her mouth to stop the coffee from being spat out, her eyes widened. She watched as he smirked, leaning forward to use his finger to wipe away the small drop of coffee that ha escaped.

"Teasing you will be the highlight of my day," he told her, her simple reaction having been enough to make the obvious known.

She was going to _murder _him, truly.

…

_Good for something that took three months and two days, aye? c;_

_Sorry for the wait! Nothing else to write for this series so they should all be up soon!_

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

_5…_


	16. Sweet

**Sweet.  
>Words: <strong>563**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>No, she wasn't just talking about him when she said it, she was talking about the entire thing. What he had just done, his daughter's reaction, and maybe him.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe owns Castle.**  
>Established KateCastle.  
>Slightly <em>AU<em>.**

…

"I told you Ash, they're sold out," Alexis Castle told her boyfriend over the phone, "I can't even get one off Ebay, they're all sold as well."

Kate Beckett watched the girl from the kitchen counter, a mug of coffee heating the air by her face as she rested it to her lips. She knew what the teenager was talking about, tickets to the Taylor Swift concert that was being held that Boxing Day. Alexis had been sitting on the ticket sales site all morning waiting for them to go on sale, and hadn't been quick enough when they had gone up, all of them selling within the first five minutes.

"I know Ash," she sighed.

The NYPD detective frowned slightly, knowing that the girl had been hoping to get them, for both her and Ashley, and both halves of the couple were devestated to find out that they couldn't go.

"Well she looks happy," Richard Castle noted, walking into the loft's kitchen to see his daughter rather upset.  
>"She didn't get the tickets."<br>"Oh."

Kate knew that he understood automatically, his daughter had been going on about it the entire time that she had visited them, and that seemed to be rather a lot that month. She also knew that he hated to see his daughter upset, which was why it confused her as to why he was smiling.

"I'll see you when I get back tomorrow," the teenager said, "I miss you too."

The pair watched her sigh once more after hanging up, before joining them at the kitchen bench.

"What's up Pumpkin?" her father asked.  
>"The concert is sold out," she answered.<br>"Well that's no good, isn't it?" he smiled.  
>"You look too happy," Kate pointed out.<p>

The author grinned broader, fishing through his jacket pocket for something, before pulling out a thin cardboard box and handing it to his daughter.

"What's this?" Alexis asked, looking at her father confused.  
>"Call it an early Christmas present, for both you and Ashley."<p>

Watching her as she slowly lifted the lid off the box, a large grin splitting across her face as she saw what was inside. The teenager lifted the tickets from the box, and slid them apart, clarifying that there was two.

"How did you get these?" she whispered, "there were no pre-orders and they were sold out within minutes!"  
>"I know some people," he answered simply with a smile.<br>"Thankyou!" the teenager said louder, "thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!"  
>"You're welcome," the author smiled.<br>Throwing both arms around her father's neck, embracing him in a hug, she said, "I have to call Ashey."  
>"Go, call you boyfriend, we'll be here when you get back."<p>

The teenager's smile didn't falter as she let out a tiny squeal and began up the stairs with her phone in one hand and the tickets in the other. Kate Beckett heard the man chuckle slightly, before turning around to look at her.

"What?"  
>"Nothing," the NYPD detective answered.<br>"Really, what is that look for?" he prompted.  
>She smiled, shaking her head, "no reason."<br>"_Kate_."  
>"I just think its sweet, alright?" she told him.<p>

She watched him smirk, though in her mind she didn't really know what she was calling sweet; him, or what he did for his daughter. When the man in question pulled her into a kiss, she figured she could work it out later.

…

_I really should stop writing things before I've finished the chapter before it._

_Well, I had no where near finished 'Costumes' when I wrote this, and I had already done the prompt after this, weeks before. I don't know whether that's a good or a bad thing._

_All mistakes are mine._

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

_FOUR…_**  
><strong>


	17. Perfection

**Perfection.  
>Words: <strong>767**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>Not easy to come by, that was for sure. But the sight in front of him? Richard Castle was ready to prove the universe wrong when they said there was no such thing as perfect.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe owns Castle.**  
>Established KateCastle.  
>Slightly <em>AU<em>.**

…

"_Having fun?_" she asked him, her voice and image clear over the video Skype call.  
>"It's nothing, just the usual, sigining books, signing women's breasts…"<br>"_Richard_," she warned him, narrowing her eyes at him.  
>"Yes I'm having fun," he chuckled, "not the signing breasts thing, though."<br>"_Sure it's not Dad!_" Alexis Castle called from the kitchen, before walking into his study to stand behind Katherine Beckett in the camera view, "_we all know that's your favourite part of the book signings._"  
>"I thought you were on my side?" he asked his daughter with narrow eyes.<br>"_Us girls have to stick together_," she replied, "_I'm going to bed, I have to be up early tomorrow if I want to get back on time._"  
>"So you won't be back here when I come home?" Rick asked, and he knew that the small smile on his daughter's face was because she could tell what he was thinking.<br>"_I'll be here for Christmas_," she reminded him, "_and besides, if I don't leave before you come back I won't end up leaving at all, you'll guilt trip me into staying_."  
>"Alright, but don't have too much fun without me?" the author questioned.<br>"_I won't_," she smiled, "_goodnight Dad, I miss you._"  
>"I miss you too Pumpkin."<br>"_Night Kate,_" the teenager told her, dropping a small kiss on her cheek before leaving the room.

Richard Castle watched the NYPD detective smile at the young teenager before turning back to the computer screen that held the image of the author.

"_Want to hear about the new case?_" Kate asked with a small smile.  
>"Every little dirty detail," he laughed.<br>"_Well, our victim is Elizabeth Olympe…_"

He was only half listening, surveying the appearance of the woman on the screen in front of him. It seemed so natural, watching her sit there and tell him every little detail about the recent case that would have her up at midnight in the precinct staring at the murder board if it wasn't for Alexis visiting for the week.

Her hair was in loose, damp curls, and they sat on her shoulders neatly. Her face was makeup free, he could tell from the natural blush that he noticed was permantly on her cheeks. She sat relaxed, completely carefree in the desk chair, and in the background he could see that she had been reading, several books dropped on the bed he could see through the open bedroom door.

The woman on the screen in front of him was perfect. Society would say that there was no such thing as perfect, but there it was. She was perfect, maybe not to society, but to him.

His eye dropped the the shirt she wore, and Rick could have sworn that was his shirt, his favourite plaid shirt that hung over her shoulders, and buttoned up to just above her breasts. He chuckled slightly and tried his best to hide a smirk, unsuccesful.

"_You're not listening are you?_" the NYPD detective questioned, leaning forward slightly with raised eyebrows.  
>"I couldn't help but notice that you're wearing my shirt," he smirked.<br>"_It's comfortable_," she shrugged, leaning back.  
>"It looks better on you than it does on me."<br>She smiled, "_which means you won't be too bothered when it ends up in my things instead of yours?_"  
>"Only if I get to see you wear it more often," he told her with a small smile.<br>"_Maybe_."

The author chuckled, watching her as she yawned and stretched her arms slightly. The time difference was only around three hours, but he knew that it was still late.

"Tired?" Rick asked her.  
>"<em>A little.<em>"  
>"Go to sleep, I'll call you tomorrow," he said.<br>"_No I'm fine_," she answered, battling with her eyes lids for them to stay open.  
>"Go to sleep Kate," he repeated.<br>"_I'm fine_."  
>"Kate."<br>She sighed, "_I'm fine, but if it means you'll stop, then I'll go to sleep._"  
>"Good," Rick smiled, "I love you."<br>"_I love you_," she murmurred with a small smile.  
>"I'll see you on Wednesday."<p>

The NYPD blinked, before giving a larger smile to the author before shutting off the video call and leaving the author staring at his computer screen. He watched it as he shut the Skype video call tab and was left with his desktop background.

The images changed slowly, fading from one to the next every ten seconds. Each of them showed her smile, they all showed his image of perfection. Each of them had him wanting to cancel his book tour now, as he could no longer wait until Wednesday to see her again…

…

_Nearly finished!_

_All mistakes are mine._

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

_3…_**  
><strong>


	18. Stars

**Stars.  
>Words: <strong>570**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>From the balcony of his loft, she could see the following things – the snow, the lights of the town, the bustling activity of the town's people, and the glorious stars and moon. From where he stood at the balcony's door, he could see the woman he loved, watching the stars.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe owns Castle.**  
>Established KateCastle.  
>Slightly <em>AU<em>.  
>Tag to Prompt Number Thirteen: Shooting Star.<strong>

…

The author sighed, dropping his coat on the couch as he walked into the loft. He had only just handed in the last chapter of his new Nikki Heat novel, and they hadn't even edited it yet before bringing up the discussion of a month long book tour.

Personally, he was tempted to end Nikki Heat where it was, if it meant that he would be able to stay at home over the Christmas period with his girlfriend and be lazy all day, but he knew that both Kate Beckett would not allow that to happen. Even though she said that some of the details in the series were quite demeaning, he knew that she had re-read every single one of the Nikki Heat novels to date atleast four or five times, and that wasn't including the times that he had read them to her.

If Richard Castle remembered correctly, the NYPD detective in question should be the only one home. His daughter had come back for the weekend, but had been dragged off on a date by her boyfriend, and his mother had her last Life Couching class before they took a break for the holidays.

Trying his best to be quiet, he walked through the loungeroom towards the study, hoping to find the woman asleep on the couch by his desk with a book draped over her chest, exactly how he normally found her when he got home from those sort of meetings. However, she was no where to be seen.

Walking back out to the loungeroom, he found that the balcony door was open, being the reason for the cool winter breeze that wafted through the room. Making his way towards it, he smiled, not because he found anything funny, really, there was no reason to be smiling, but he knew that there was a chance that Katherine Beckett was curled up in a blanket on the decking chair reading one of his books.

Leaning against the door frame, he found his suspicions confirmed. She was indeed curled up on the decking chair with a blanket wrapped around her and one of his books in her hands, though she wasn't reading it. Her gaze was trained on the sky, and he could see her eyes following the star that shot across the sky in front of them.

Nobody knew it, but Katherine Beckett had a thing for wishing on Shooting Stars. He knew it had began with her mother, and she had kept doing it even after the woman's death. He realised that it sounded silly to a lot of people, but she still kept at it.

Walking up to press a kiss against her cheek from behind, her heard her sigh.

"Make a wish?" he asked her.  
>"Not this time," Katherine said simply.<br>"Why not?"  
>"Don't need to."<p>

Raising an eyebrow slightly, he moved around to pull her from the chair, sitting down and pulling her onto his lap.

"Well, I've got you, I have Alexis and Martha, my Dad, and the team," she explained to him, "I don't need much else, do I?"  
>"That was cheesy," Rick smiled.<br>"Coming from you," Kate laughed, resting her head onto his shoulder.

Smiling he looked down at her, the NYPD detective's eyes trained on the sky above them, soaking in ever sparkle of ever star. He had to agree with her, _what else is there to wish for?_

…

_So out of character. My eyes, they're burning._

_WE'VE NEARLY FINISHED!_

_Don't know whether to celebrate, or to cry._

_Only two more to go, my lovelies!_

_All mistakes are mine._

_Thankyou!_

_Review?_

_TWO…_**  
><strong>


	19. Christmas Eve

**20 Prompts to Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett.  
>Christmas Eve.<br>Words: **383**  
>Couple: <strong>Kate Beckett and Richard Castle.**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle.**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>All characters you recognise belong to Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC.**  
>Summary: <strong>She asked for a miracle every Christmas, that something would break her mother's case, but this Christmas Eve, she had broken the tradition and begun another.**  
>AU.<br>Established Kate/Castle.  
>Drabble.<strong>

…

Kate Beckett smiled, looking up at his face and watching his lips moved as he quoted, word-for-word, every line of Tim Burton's '_The Nightmare Before Christmas_'. While she couldn't deny that she would do the sam, the NYPD detective added this to the list of childish things that made her love him more. Her smile widening for a moment she looked back at the large TV screen, knowing for a fact that he felt her gaze and hadn't said anything in hopes of bringing it up later when the movie had finished.

In the back of her mind she was constantly reminded that it was Christmas Eve. That this was going to be another Christmas without her mother, without having justice for her mother. In the back of her mind she was constantly reminded that this was the first Christmas where she hadn't sat wishing for some miracle that would ultimately end up being the key to bringing down the person behind her mother's murder.

But she didn't spend an hour of her night asking for that. She spent it with someone she loved, and it had distracted her from this consuming tradition that she had continued for years even after knowing that it probably wouldn't work.

Not knowing whether she should be asking for that miracle still, she nestled further back against the author. Katherine closed her eyes and listened as the plan to kidnap '_Sandy Claws_' was explained, slowly falling asleep.

…

The arm that slipped underneath her legs was the one to wake her, the sound of the end credit's song softly playing in the background as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Go back to sleep," Richard Castle's voice whispered as he leant down to lift her, cradling her barely concious body into his chest, "I'm just moving you to the bed so you don't complain about having a sore neck at dinner tomorrow."

The NYPD detective nodded, hiding her face in his neck with closed eyes and arms draped sleepily over his shoulders so she had some grip on him. Feeling Castle hold her body closer to him she smiled, realising that with Christmas Day being what she would wake up to in the morning, she had everything she could ever want. No miracle was needed for that.

…

_So. Uh. It's been a while..._

_Yeah. I'm horrid at updating stuff, but this story has been around since Christmas 2011 sitting there unfinished. That makes it worse, yeah?_

_1 to go!_

_Thank you for your patience to put up with my horrid updating!_


	20. Christmas Day

**Christmas Day.  
>Words: <strong>1334**  
>Couple: <strong>Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle**  
>TV Show: <strong>Castle**  
>Summary: <strong>It was the snow outside, the ring on a finger, the company, the friendship, the weeks leading up to the day. It was everything that neither wanted to leave behind.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Andrew W. Marlowe owns Castle.**  
>Established KateCastle.  
>Slightly <strong>_**AU**_**.**

…

Katherine Beckett smiled across the kitchen bench at the author. The small diamond on her left hand glittering light;y, the hard cover of _Heat Wave_ with the centre cut out as far as page 105/106 – she had to remember to murder him for that later – still sat open on the counter, where it had been when she unwrapped it in confusion.

"_What's this?" she asked slowly, pushing the wrapping paper to the side and eying the book suspiciously.  
>"Probably one of the most unorthodox presents you'll ever get," Richard replied, catching his daughter's eye as the young college student entered the kitchen with a large grin.<em>

_The NYPD detective looked over at Alexis, who beckoned her to look further into the gift, wished them a Merry Christmas before leaving to get ready for the day._

"_Scared Beckett?" he challenged her, moving two mugs full of coffee to the counter._

_Rolling her eyes, Kate slowly opened the book, eyes widening as she came to be looking at page '105'. A large rectangle had been cut into the book, the centre of the first 104 pages missing. Sitting in the middle of the cut rectangle was a rung._

"_Rick, what."  
>"I know it's traditionally done with a Harry Potter book, but I figure that this is just as meaningful," he told her, his eyes trained on her reaction.<br>"Rick…"  
>"Kate, I love you," the author stated slowly, "it's been hell, it truly has. Your mother's case has built this wall, and I've already knocked down some, and I plan on knocking down the rest, but no matter how much like hell it <em>has _been, it's been worth it."_

_He picked up the ring, holding it pinched between his thumb and index finger. She had seen him in that position before, feeling smug for figuring out why the chef had been in the restaurant. Instead now, his expression was soft and he could have sworn he could see right though her._

"_That wall isn't going to come down without a bit of a push," he continued, "I just hope this is a push in the right direction."  
>"Skip the speech Rick, just ask me already," she said in a whisper, a smile growing on her face.<br>"Kate will you marry me?" Richard asked, laughing slightly.  
>"Yes, God, yes."<em>

_The author smiled, watching her laugh before she leant forward across the bench to kiss him. Both of her hands cupped his cheeks, pulling him closer to her – and she didn't believe that was possible. When Rick finally pulled away slightly, she smiled._

"_It doesn't matter if the coffee goes cold, right?" she asked him.  
>"Not to me."<em>

The coffee _had _gone cold. Her warm hands held the fresh cup in her hands, but her eyes stayed on the author. Richard Castle held her gaze, both of them sitting in complete silence, of which was only broken by the noise of Alexis Castle jogging down the stairs as the doorbell run.

"Guess who we bumped into on the way up," Lanie Parrish's voice said, but was obviously not the top of the young teenager's priority list.  
>"Merry Christmas Doctor Parrish, Detective Esposito," she answered before taking Ashely Lindin by the hand and pulling him through the house.<p>

The teenage boy greeted his girlfriend's father and girlfriend- _fiancee – _before the pair continued up the stairs.

"Calm Rick, they aren't doing anything," the NYPD detective assured him.  
>"Remember when you were young?" he asked her.<br>"And you were still about forty?"

Kate watched him roll his eyes – a habit that he had unconsciously picked up from her over the years – before turning to face her best friend as the woman entered the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas, now show me the ring," the M.E. stated, smiling widely as she looked at the detective excited.  
>"Merry Christmas to you too Lanie, how is your morning so far?" Kate asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice but still holding her hand out to her best friend.<br>"It's beautiful," the woman cooed.

The author smirked, turning to the Hispanic detective, who only greeted him with a slight chuckle. When Lanie made a comment to her friend about having a slight 'after-sex glow', Kate's eyes widened and Rick mumbled something about there being no such thing as privacy anymore.

A knock at the door interrupted the short lived conversation, and Castle moved to answer it. That however, did not stop Lanie Parrish from continuing to obsess over every single detail of what had happened that morning.

"Lanie obsessing over her ring already?" Kevin Ryan asked, laughing as they entered the kitchen area.  
>"Understatement," his partner replied before turning to greet Jenny.<p>

Rick chuckled, moving around the kitchen to retrieve several bottles of beer, holding them by the neck of the bottle he walked back to the group, dropping a kiss on the female NYPD detective's cheek and offering Jenny Ryan a glass of water.

"I'm fine," she told him, smiling softly, "if I drink anything I'm just going to end up sitting in the bathroom all day."  
>"Dancing on your bladder, dear," Martha Rodgers explained, joining them at the the bench with her glass of wine, "they all do, don't worry."<p>

The author sighed, sharing a look with the woman to his right who was trying to hide her smile behind the bottle of alcohol.

"Did Gates say she was coming?" Javier questioned.  
>"Visiting her husband's family," Richard explained, "though she did say thank you for the invite."<br>"I think she's starting to like you," Kevin chuckled.  
>"He grows on you," the Hispanic detective said.<br>"Like mould," Katherine Beckett murmured.  
>"I love you too, guys," the author in question told them.<p>

Alexis and Ashley walked through the kitchen, each taking a drink from the fridge and heading into the lounge room. The conversation between the group continued as they followed them; Jenny and Lanie talking about weddings – although as Kate listened, she knew that Lanie was more interested in planning her "hen" party that would occur in the nights before the wedding – Ryan, Esposito and Castle argued over an Lakers game, and it seemed that the entire family was still working in sync.

Martha left the group for a moment, returning after letting Jim Beckett into the loft.

"Merry Christmas Dad," Kate smiled, hugging her father.  
>"Merry Christmas Katie," the older man replied, returning the hug.<p>

She pulled away, smiling at her father who looked at the ring on her finger where she held his arm.

"Your mother would be so proud of you Katie," he told his daughter, ad Katherine knew he wasn't talking about only the engagement.

He was talking about her entire life, her career, her choices, her decision to leave the case behind.

"I know Daddy," the NYPD detective replied, a small smile replacing the once larger one.

Richard called them both to the group, slipping his arm around his fiancee's waist as she took a seat next to him, across from her father. She listening to every conversation, the smile on her face broadened as she did; spending her first Christmas with her "immediate family" since her mother's felt routine – it _was _routine from then on.

"Merry Christmas," Lanie Parrish toasted with a large smile.

Around the room the two words were choruses, and the odd gift was exchanged as conversations went back to their original flow. Kate Beckett's eyes met her best friends from across the room, sharing a silent conversation before the M.E. turning back to Jenny.

"I thought our eye-sex was bad," The author whispered to her.  
>"Lanie is only calling dibs on maid-of-honour and God Mother to our first born child," she replied simply with a smile.<br>"First born child?" he asked smirking, "might have to get to work on that one Katherine Beckett."

A small laugh escaped her lips, before he silenced her with his own.

"Down boy, later," the NYPD detective warned him, not bothering to hide her smile.  
>"Merry Christmas Kate," he told her.<br>"Merry Christmas Rick."

…

_I blame it on my amazing procrastination skills and the fact that year nine sucked giant bulldozers to the situation that is how long it's taken me to finish this story. I've had this one written for a while and it just felt wrong but I couldn't change it..._

_Thank you for your patience that has been rewarded with a virtual hug!_


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